"The Penguin" is a must-watch show on HBO and Max when episode 1 premieres on Sept. 19. I've been fortunate enough to see advanced screeners and can officially say that not only is it good — it's one of the best shows of the year so far.
I had some reservations about this show when it was first announced. I wasn't exactly clamoring for more of Colin Farrell's character from "The Batman" in an origin story about Penguin's rise to power in the Gotham criminal underworld. If anything, I wanted more of The Riddler or Barry Keoghan's teased Joker before getting more from the disfigured mob lieutenant.
But after watching the first six episodes of this limited series, I'm glad that this is the show we got. we got it. Rather than attempting to be a superhero show, it leans into the criminal world more than the world of caped crusaders. It also features one of the best performances I've seen on TV this year — though maybe not from whom you'd expect.
'The Penguin' borrows from 'The Godfather,' 'The Sopranos' and 'Gotham' — and 'Andor'
As I mentioned, this show really leans into its Gotham mafia core, rather than attempting to be a superhero show. It's more "The Godfather" than "Gotham," though there are certainly aspects of the latter that feel familiar when watching this show. Those who watched "Arrow" on the CW may find some similarities as well, given that this show is all about street-level characters rather than superheroes.
That said, there are nods to the DC Comics canon. Aside from the obvious — the titular Penguin, the rival Falcone and Maroni crime families and the show's Gotham setting — there are even some deep cuts and Easter eggs.
There's a Burgess Jewelers, a nod to the late great Burgess Meredith who played The Penguin in the 1966 "Batman" show. Oz is driven around by the young Victor Aguilar (Rhenzy Feliz) in a Maserati in Penguin's signature purple. There are also references to DC Comics characters The Hangman and Magpie and the drug Bliss makes an appearance, though not in its canonical form.
But this is first and foremost a crime story. This story is about the rise of a crime family underling seeing a power vacuum and taking advantage to seize control of the city. Of course, he's not alone in that desire, and as the season progresses, others join Oz's fight to take over the power once held by crime boss Carmine Falcone. It's very reminiscent of the power struggle between the families in "The Godfather" or Tony Soprano's attempts at seizing control towards the end of "The Sopranos." Farrell's imposing portrayal of Penguin made me think of Tony more than once, even though there are many differences between the two iconic characters.
It's not just these mafia stories that I thought of while watching "The Penguin." I also consistently thought of "Andor." Both shows exist in a relatively fantastical world but are incredibly grounded, often intentionally eschewing the more fantastical elements of their worlds — for "The Penguin," this is superheroes; for "Andor," it was Jedi. This choice is to the benefit of both shows, as it produces stories that are good first and part of the greater canon second.
This may be 'The Penguin' but Cristin Milioti steals the show
While Penguin's rise to power is the focus of the show, it's his foil that becomes the show's star. Cristin Milioti plays Sofia Falcone, the daughter of the recently deceased Carmine. At the start of the show, she's only just been released from a 10-year stint in Arkham Asylum. Now, she's the other main player for her father's throne.
There are others in her family who are also vying for the top spot in the Falcone crime family, and the Maronis are trying to take advantage as well, despite their boss Salvatore (Clancy Brown) residing in Blackgate Penitentiary. But it's quickly apparent that "The Penguin" is headed for a showdown between Oz and Sofia.
And if I'm being honest ... through five episodes, I want her to win. Milioti has been incredible, portraying a deeply damaged person who wants to reintegrate into society but is sick of being pushed aside by everyone around her.
There are little quirks to the performance too that are just sublime touches. Sleeping in a closet because she's grown comfortable with a cell and eating with her hands instead of utensils because of her time at Arkham are the tiny things great performers do so well.
But the best character choice is the way she dresses. Initially, she dresses relatively demure, but once she fully enters her villainess era, she dresses to show off the scars she's accumulated from her time in Arkham, finally owning who she's become. This is, of course, in no small part due to excellent writing, but you need a skilled performer to pull it off.
'The Penguin' is a top 10 show of 2024 so far
If there was one thing I'd knock the show for, it'd be that the show struggles to leap from very good to great, similar to how I felt about shows like "Fallout" and "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" earlier this year. That said, episode 4, titled "Cent'Anni," is one of the best episodes of TV I've watched this year, so by the end of episode 8 I may be recanting this particular criticism.
Regardless though, this is one of the best shows of 2024 so far. I currently have "The Penguin" sixth out of the 42 shows I've watched so far this year, and barring a dramatic falloff in the final three episodes, it'll almost certainly hold a spot in my top 10 by the end of the year. The well-written crime story serving as the outline for excellent performances by Farrell and Milioti has made this show engaging to watch and I do not doubt once episode 1 ends you'll be counting down the days until episode 2.
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